September 9, 2025 – Huntington Beach, Ca
Departure day and beyond ready. Unfortunately, our friend
Inez had a bug and could not drive us to the airport. Uber it is. This may have
been the slowest, most cautious Uber driver I have ever had but we had plenty
of time. The airport was not crowded; it was Tuesday after all. No waiting at
the counter to check in or the TSA security check. We were early as usual, just
the way I like it. The flight to Seatle was early and uneventful. Plenty of
time to catch our flight to Amsterdam.
SeaTac is a beautiful airport, it has been a long time since we have been through there. It brings back memories of visiting the Boeing plant when we were researching the design for the Delta IV rocket factory. The Amsterdam flight was on time and very comfortable. Only one movie, the latest mission impossible, and a descent dinner before nap time. The flight was 9.5 hours, and I managed to sleep for 4 plus hours. In the morning it was cheese omelet and a lovely fruit and yogurt bowl. Flying for us has become more like taking a bus, we are well seasoned.
September 10, 2025-Amasterdam, Netherlands
Schiphol in Amsterdam is such a huge airport but so well
laid out and easy to navigate. We picked up our luggage and cleared customs and
immigration, back in the EU! We checked into Transavia airlines, automated bag
check and ticketing. The seats were not nearly as commodious as our Delta flight,
but we arrived in Preveza, Greece reasonably on time with a little nap
involved. Equally important the luggage made it.
It was dark and balmy, 2100 and grabbing a taxi to Lefkas
Town on Lefkada Island. The Taxi driver was the photo opposite of our Uber
driver, fast and furious! We made it to the marina and checked into the quay
side hotel, Ionos. Anxious to see Raffaellesco, we dumped our bags and walked
to the boat. I was happy to see no damage from the August storm. We had reports
of high beam side winds and pictures of people managing our lines. Our boat
neighbor was reporting to us that all was OK but I was relieved to put eyes on it.
Going aboard I was happy to go below and have that new boat smell hit my nose.
We opened the hatches to air it out and did a quick assessment…all good, great
even!
The fragrance of flowers was amazing as we returned to the hotel. We were down for the count. 26 hours of travel and ready to sleep.
September 11, 2025-Lefkas, Lefkada, Greece
Up early, 400 and thinking about what needs to get done
today. Might as well get started! I slipped out of the room to let Suzette
sleep and started on my boat chores. I always change the raw water impeller
when we return to the boat. It has been sitting in the same position for 3
months! Checking the engines vitals so we are ready to go. Suzette showed up
about 530 and was ready to work. By 800 we were ready to go so we went to the
market to begin the provisioning process. By 930 the mechanics were calling us
over to the yard to reinstall the genset. They had the genset in and running in
no time. We were back in our mooring by noon.
We fired up the freshly repaired generator and loaded it up with the air conditioners. The boat was amazingly cool despite the heat and humidity. Everything was working well, and we were ahead of schedule. A little rain in the afternoon only served to make it more humid and hotter with little breeze. The sun and breeze returned late afternoon. By the end of the day, we had recommissioned the boat sufficiently to schedule our departure. In the afternoon we visited the Port Authority to check their hours and the procedure for leaving Greece. No surprises here.
As the sun was getting low in the sky we cleaned up and went
into town for a cocktail. There is a floating restaurant bar on the quay that
was being built at the beginning of the summer. It was done now and looked like
it offered a good view of the harbor, and it was up high so we could enjoy the
unobstructed breeze. Negroni for me, dry martini for the Admiral.
Back on the boat I was fading fast and fell asleep in the
cockpit with the cool breeze and a bright waning moon. I woke up about 2300 and
found my way to my bunk for some more shut eye.
September 12, 2025-Lefkas, Lefkada,
Greece
I managed to sleep until 0430 before getting up and at it
again. Suzette was not far behind me, so it was coffee on and some trip
planning. We wanted to meet our friends Hans and Carol in Syvota but we had to
be sure that we could ultimately check out of the country from there and head
to Italy. It will be a little complicated but doable and fun! With a plan set,
coffee consumed and sun rising it was time to get to work.
The last big job was to rig the jib and the halyard for the
code zero. With that job complete we were off to the market for more supplies
for the boat. We needed butane for the grill, and we had lost a fender in our
absence over the summer. The local chandlery had the butane tanks for us but no
matching bumper. After lunch I went back to work doing the small jobs.
At 1400 we went to the Port Authority to check out of Lefkas
for the following day. A couple stops for a short list of items, and it was
back to the boat to relax and enjoy the shade and cool breeze in the cockpit.
One of our stops was at the pharmacy to refill an eye drop prescription for
Suzette. A product called Nevinac that cost 14 euros here was 400 dollars in
the US, seems wrong to me.
This is a huge charter base, hundreds of charter boats here.
We spent the afternoon being entertained as they filed in and filled the marina.
Boats sideways in the fairway, one caught his rudder on another boat’s bow line
and others ram rodding in. We went from 25% full to 100% full in a matter of
hours as they shoehorned them in on either side of us. The crew were all
shapes, sizes, ages and nationalities. I will say our new neighbor was not
sporting a good look; speedo with a long T-shirt, hmm. I guess the charter
boats arrive on Saturday and depart on Sunday. Tomorrow will be a good day to
leave early and start our journey.
Another long day and late-night prepping for departure but we are ready.
September 13, 2025- Lefkas, Lefkada, Greece
We managed to sleep until 0700, we must be getting on the
time zone. The sky was clear, and the breeze was light from our starboard stern
quarter. We turned in our Peleros flag (Peleros Yacht Service took care of
Raffaellesco while we were away, the flag identifies the boats that are in
Peleros’ care), return our shower fob to the Marina to get my deposit back and
dumped our trash.
We pulled out at 0930 to catch the 1000 bridge opening.
There is a floating bridge that allows cars to access the island from the
mainland. The bridge crosses the narrow channel that has been dredged to allow
boat traffic north and south. Evidently the bridge had been towed to Athens for
repairs, so they were using an old ferry to create the bridge. Every two hours
it would move out to the side of the channel and allow boats to navigate
through. We got in line with about 25 boats heading north and cleared the
bridge by around 1030.
It felt great to be on the move and out of the marina. There was a light breeze on our nose as we motored NW to Lakka, Paxos Island, an anchorage on the north end of Paxos. We back flushed the water maker and fired it up. It worked like a champ making delicious water. We had nearly emptied our water tank of old water; it was good to be adding fresh water. The water tank on this boat has only ever had water maker water in it, no city water.
There were lots of boats around us heading in all directions
as we dispersed into the northern Ionian Sea. It was an uneventful 37 mile run
but exhilarating as our first cruise of this leg of our journey. We arrived to
a large anchorage filled with boats but plenty of room for us. We anchored in
about 4 meters of clear water on a weed free bottom of sand.
As we were settling the boat a women paddled up in a kayak and commented that we were Americans and that they owned the same boat as ours, a Jeanneau Yacht 51. Then she shared that they were here on a friend’s Jeanneau 490. I said “you’re Heather, we are Bill and Suzette.” The light bulb went on and she lit up with familiarity. We had met her and her husband Bill in Friday Harbor when we were buying Raffaellesco. We were introduced by our boat broker as they were owners of a Yacht 51 and cruising the Med. The 490 they were on here in Greece belongs to Bruce and Peggy. We met them in the commissioning yard in Les Sables d’Olone. They had just commissioned their boat, and we were visiting the commissioning yard to make arrangements with the yard for our commissioning. Small world.
We invited them over for aperitivos before dinner. It was so
great to share stories and knowledge about the boats. Bill and Heather sailed
their 51 to the Caribbean last December, so we will see them in the Islands. Bruce
and Peggy are continuing their cruise here in the Med. We all went to dinner in
Lakka at Alesandros so we could continue our conversation. Hearing about their
trip across the Atlantic and their preparation I think I am glad that we are
shipping our boat across the Atlantic.
.heic)
Another late night, so much fun seeing everyone!
9/14/2025 Lakka, Paxos, Greece
Up with the roosters at 0500. A quiet night at anchor gave
way to a calm sunny morning. We recommissioned the dinghy and motored over to
Sojourner to say our goodbyes to everyone, they were heading south to Preveza
and the Lefkada Canal.
We went into town to check out a dress shop that Suzette was eyeing yesterday. Lots of pretty dresses but none in her small size. The shop owner happened in and suggested she try one of her other shops in town. It turns out that she owned 4 shops, 2 here and 2 in Corfu. Suzette hit the jackpot, lots of beautiful clothes and many in her size. She walked away with two beautiful dresses and a cover up. Next on the agenda was olive oil. Supposedly this island is famous for its olive oil, it is the only olive oil that Herod's sells. The clothing shop owner referred us to the hotel owner by the square. We found him but his olive oil shop was closed, he was busy with his hotel today. He recommended a market where we could buy small quantities so off we went. The market only had half litre containers of the local olive oil; Suzette wanted a big container that would travel with the boat to the Caribbean. She has come to love the Greek olive oil, maybe more than the Spanish Arbequina olive oil. All that said she decided to by the 4-liter tin of Greek Olive oil sourced from the mainland. I think we now have plenty of good olive oil to tie us over for a while.
Back on the boat it was lunch and up with the anchor to motor the short distance across the channel to Syvota where we were meeting friends Carol and Hans. This would also be our last port of call in Greece. The breeze was light but lots of boat traffic to contend with. We pulled into the little cove just south of Syvota where we had reserved a mooring. The mooring was free with a meal at their restaurant. We were greeted by two sailors in a rib who assisted us in picking up a fore and aft mooring next to a big power boat, the only other boat in the cove. We were surprised to see that there was a steady stream of boats arriving as the sailors worked feverishly to get them all moored in the little cove, 11 boats in all. The boats were well populated with anywhere from 2 to 10 people on board. The restaurant will be hoping!
We swam and relaxed in the hot afternoon sun. Fortunately, the breeze picked up and it was very comfortable. We made arrangements for a rental car to be delivered to us at the restaurant. We needed the car so we could go to the Port Authority and Customs to check out of Greece in the morning. The car arrived as we were pondering the menu at the restaurant. The young man took a picture of my license and had me sign a form and he was off on his very portable electric scooter back to the rental office.
We had an ideal table on the restaurant patio overlooking
the cove. Being lovers of eggplant, we ordered it as an appetizer and it did
not disappoint. Suzette is always trying to figure out the ingredients so she
can replicate a good dish on the boat. House wine and seafood for dinner made
for a delicious dinner. The sun set as we were dining but no bugs here, very
happy about that. The tables around us ebbed and flowed with the crews off of
the boats in the cove, one big sailor’s party. Surprisingly it was a very quiet
night in the cove.
9/15/2025-Syvota, Greece
Up with the roosters once again. The cove was dead still, no
wind or waves, very quiet. We enjoyed our morning coffee, then gathered our
papers for our check out process. We drove about 35 minutes north to the port in Igoumenitsa to find the Port Authority and Customs.
It took a few inquiries, and a couple stops to find the Port Authority. They
were very helpful and friendly but as usual, seemed a little lost in the
process. As they were checking documents and copying papers, I remembered that
Suzette had a new passport and the number did not match my crew list, I kept
quiet hoping no one noticed. A couple of stamps and 5 euros had us on our way
to customs to turn in our Transit Log. The customs office was at the other end
of town tucked away in a building with a not so conspicuous sign. The young man
at the front desk understood what we wanted and called out a customs agent. The
language barrier made the transaction a little difficult but when I handed him
my Transit Log, he understood. He unceremoniously took the log and turned to
leave. I asked if we were done and he said yes.
In celebration of successfully checking out of Greece we
went out for gelato and espresso in a most excellent Gelatoria. Both the gelato
and the espresso were superb, breakfast of champions. Next stop was a grocery
store where we could buy some specific items we needed for the night’s dinner
and anything else that looked good.
With our work done here in Igoumenitsa we headed out of town feeling triumphant. That euphoria was quickly quelled when a police officer pulled me over for running a stop light, I never saw the light and I was making a left turn. He read me the riot act for a good 15 minutes letting me know that the fine was 700 euros and loss of my license for 2 months. We groveled and apologized profusely and asked that he not do that. Eventually he relented and let us go! Dodged that bullet, hell of a way to leave Greece.
Back at the marina we had the rental car picked up and got
the boat underway. We were simply headed to the other side of the very small
peninsula two rendezvous with Friends Carol and Hans from our boat club. They
were traveling around Greece by car and staying at a hotel in Syvota. We
anchored the boat below the hotel but did not feel great about the anchor
holding or our proximity to another boat. As I was contemplating the situation
I heard my name being called. Carol and Hans were on their balcony looking down
on us and waving.
We picked them up at the hotel dock and brought them aboard.
After a boat tour it was time for a swim. It was hot and everyone wanted to go
swimming to cool down. Hans is an Olympic Medal winner in swimming, so he is
always game to get in the water. After a swim we jumped in the dinghy and
motored out around one of the small islands to explore the caves. One was more
of an archway to a tiny cove in the rocks with no roof. The second cave was
much deeper and full of purple hues glistening on the rock wall.
Upon returning to the boat we discovered that we were really to close to our neighbor and decided to reanchor. Of course that was just about the time the wind came up. It took several attempts but we finally settled into a new anchorage. Suzette prepared her paella for our dinner and we settled in for a good evening with great food and friends. With the sunset and knowing we would be getting an early start in the morning we reluctantly returned Hans and Carol to their dock and continued our separate journeys. Having friends visit us on our journey is always such a highlight.
9/16/2025-Syvota, Greece
The anchorage was calm until about 0230 when a swell started
to roll the boat. Since we had a long run planned for the day, we pulled the
anchor and we were on our way, 95 miles to Italy! We had very little wind and a
short period on the swell making for a bash as we headed west to the heel of
the boot. The sunrise was beautiful as we cleared the north end of Corfu. The
wind came up on our beam, so we unfurled the main and main good time on our
journey. Lots of ship traffic to keep us on our toes but only minor diversions.
When the seas finally calmed, I dowsed the Greek flag and hoisted the Italian courtesy flag. This would probably be our last flag for the Med. We arrived at our anchorage just north of St Maria de Lucea and drop our hook in 4m of clear water over sand by about 1300. There were several boats in the anchorage on this hot sunny day. A swim to cool off and basque in the sun on the foredeck.
Since we were entering a new cruising ground, I had to change the chip in our chart plotter to Mediterranean East and Central for the balance of our journey. We enjoyed a light dinner in the cockpit and a beautiful sunset as the last of the day tripper boats departed. It was early to bed after a long day.
9/17/2025-San Gregorio, Italy
It was a quiet night until 0230 when swell kicked in once
again. We succumbed and got under way for another equally long run SW across
the gulf between the heel the beginning of the sole. The breeze was favorable,
and the sea was calm, we were able to make good progress to our next anchorage
approximately 88 miles away. We anchored off a beach in about 4m of clear water
on sand knowing that the wind would be off shore by early morning and probably
wake us up. A cooling swim and a light bite before another early night.
9/18/25-Spiaggia dei Gigli, Italy
Up with wind at 0430, it was like sleeping in! We got
underway as the wind quickly built to 30 plus and the seas were running 2-3m.
The good news was that they were both behind us and pushing the boat along at 9
plus. The wind was predicted so there was no surprise. The auto pilot had no
problem keeping up, it was a sleigh ride. We made Marina de Roccello by 1130.
The wind had dropped to 20 and the seas were running about 2m as we rounded
into the marina. The cruising guide warned of shallow water at the entry and to
go wide, evidently we did not go wide enough as we gently bounced over the sand
bar carried by the big swell. We finally found deeper water and made our way
into the marina. Docking was a little tricky with a 20-knot wind on our beam
but we made it look easy and the sailors on the dock were on hand to help
secure the boat. We quickly settled the boat and went ashore to check in. We
were anxious to set foot on Italian soil, any soil for that matter.
The office was closed, reminding us we were in Italy and
lunch is noon to 1500! The mini marked was open. We desperately need some more
fresh fruit and peanuts, my go to snack. On the Quay we met Ida, a single hand
sailor from the UK on a Najad 46. We invited Ida for aperitivos at 1700 to swap
stories. On the boat we had a visitor pull up on the quay and inquire as to
where we were from. We said California, as usual, and she asked where in CA.
Huntington Beach. She shared that she was from San Pedro but living with a
partner here in Porto Delle Grazie. We invited she and her Partner for aperitivos
as well.
With a party forming up I had a few boat chores to do. A
quick wash down of our salty boat was the most important. We fired up the
generator knowing that the high wind would mask any noise and dissipate any
exhaust. This allowed us to wash a load of clothes and to cool the boat down
with some air conditioning, how terribly civilized it is to have a working
generator. Suzette set about coming up with appetizers. We were happy to take
advantage of the city water for washing as well as flushing out our own
plumbing. A nice shower and we were ready for guests.
Susan and Alfred arrived with a bottle of Austrian wine,
sparkling water and ice. Alfred is Austrian and enjoys his white wine with
sparkling water, and a cube. Susan, from San Pedro, has her wine with still
water and lots of ice. They have been living here on Alfred's boat for over a year,
and they love it here. Aside from being a beautiful spot it is very
inexpensive. As we were getting to know each other Ida arrived with a cabernet
and chips to share. Ida has done a lot of single-handed sailing and was a
wealth of information. She shared her Navioncs track with me so we could enjoy
a bump free exit from the marina in the morning. Ida may be one of the bravest
people I now know, for a variety of reasons.
The party broke up about 2030, sailors do not seem to stay
up late. We enjoyed being comfortably moored while the high winds worked
themselves out.
9/19/2025- Marina di Roccella, Italy
Up at a very reasonable 0700 after 9 hours of shut eye. The
sun was shining and warming the air quickly. The breeze was light making for an
easy departure. Ida’s Navionics track had us easily out of the marina and in
safe water. We were expecting another day of high winds and large seas, but they
never materialized. We never saw the wind go above 5 knots and the sea was less
than 1m behind us. This made for an uneventful motorboat ride into the Messina
Strait. Both Suzette and I finished our books along the way, my first her
second. Usually, I am working on boat projects, but things are in pretty good
shape. I do have a short list but all very small and non-essential.
The anchorage was a little tricky with the sand shelf falling off quickly at about 10m of depth and a submerged rock wall about 40m off the beach. We did a little swim and snorkel to check the anchor, and it was set nicely at the top of the hill. We checked out the submerged rock wall with lots of fish hanging out. Refreshed from our swim and feeling secure in our anchorage it was time for a sundowner and dinner. The wind and swell were predicted to be nonexistent overnight so sleep comes easy.
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